Folding tent



F. SCHILLING, SII.

FOLDING TENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. I9I9.

1,34 5, 108. Patented June 29, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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F. SCHILUNG, SII.

FOLDING TENT. APPLICATION FILED mms, 1919.

PatentdJune 29,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I dumm,

F. SCHILLING, Sn.

FOLDING TENT.

, APPLICATION FILED Anza. 1919.

Patented June 29, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

attounu,

UNITED STATES' yPpljrgelv'r oFFlcl-:Q

FREDERICK sCHiLLING, sR.,V oF "SEATTLE, WASHINGTON;

l FoLnING jTNT. f

To all whom t may concern y Be it known that I, FREDERICK dent` ofSeattle,'King county7 `Washington,

' elements whichvform one ofthe 'end'frame cases shown asslightlysepamtedj;

l the pivot betweentwo members'. In'thedevice-which is the subject ofthis .50.

have invented certain new and usefullmprovements 1n Folding-Tents, ofwhich the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to tentsV and consists of a novel frame structureandthe cover j Vwhich'lits thereon. i

The object of my'inventionis to provide a tent Vframe structure whichmay be collapsed and which isV composed of small members construction,and'also one whichwill' pro videV a support for a web which may be usedas a cot orbed supporting surface,`

In the accompanying drawings I have kshown my invention by a number ofviews Villustrative of the details of construction which I 'now preferasvbeing` best adapted forv this purpose.

' Figure 1 shows in perspective a tent vin erectedV conditionin which myinvention has been employed. l v 'Y y.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective the tent frame or supporting structure.

Fig; 3is an end elevation of' Vatentv employing my collapsibleVsupportingV frame 1n erected position.

`Fig. 4; is a sideview vof the longitudinal bars which support the cotand their'relationship with the ground sills.

Fig. 5 shows in perspective the construction of the ends of the partswhichvfformr the v side rail, and to which one side ofthe bed fabric orcot is secured. Fig. 6 shows in lperspective the various structures andthe4 kparts whichl connect therewith, the various parts being iniV someFig. 7 shows the manner of 'constructing invention all of the partslofthe frame structure are made of l'comparatively shortl Y lengths and.these'are pivoted together so as to fold, or are secured together'byatype' of pin Vand socket construction which enables thern'to `belsecurelyk connected: together and easily disconnected whenfdesred. i

SCHLLING, Sr., a citizenof the United States, and resi- Specificationovfretters Patent.` i Patented n 19121), Application"l'ed Apr1'28,17,919. Serial No.A 293,139; I l y As the base `for the tent frameVstructure` I V remploy a setof ground sills 1. These sills are made. ofboards which are fairly wide and are c utr 'down at their upper `edgethroughout the central portion thereof, to

each end isv pivoted `a post'Q. TheV pivot connection of these postsisat-th'e point 2O which 'isn closeto the bottom edge of Vthe l groundsill 1,' and vclose to 'the lower endof the post'2. The post 2 which ispivoted to-r o ne'endvofV the ground sillisat the oppositer side of saidsill from the post which-is pivoted to its opposite end, wherebyv theseItwo form a depressionv or Vwidenotch 1(). Tov

posts may `old down' against'theside of the at opposite sides of thesill.

ture,'ar e also made inaplurality of-'sections ous sections 3areconnected at'their. adjacent' ends by V'meansof hinges'gBO. yThese'ground sill and the two postsflie respectively j `T he'- 'iongimdinanyextending bars 3, `which formi the side Vbars ofthe cot strue- `whichare *hinged `-togethery These` are shown in slde elevation in Fig; 4.Thevarihing'esvareV preferably' of the Ytype of' con`` two plates k31which are secured to the top su'rfaceof the respective vbars 3andare'con-` y nected by a loop-32. This forms a flexible Vhinge which willpermit a slight side movement' ofthe bars `3with*respect tor'each other.

When thebars 3 are putin position in'the tentframe, their ends areintended to 'abut together. r

bars 3 may be securelyheldand supported by the ends offthe ground sills1.; -Means are also'provided whereby the side bars 3 serveto accurately'space and securelyhold the sills 1 at the proper distance from eachother and'- also lto assist in holding 'these in vertiealiposition,that'is', prevent themrock# edges ofthebracket arms to engage snugly'withthe sidesurfaces of theground sills 1 when the.` parts are inposition. In addi- `tion the upperl edges of the ground' sills 1 areprovided with slots, as 11, of suchwidth and depth as to receive thebars l3. In this mann'erthe bar-s3 are well' supported aga-inst f jmovement 'transversely of4 'their length, endl f struction shown inFigf. This consists'of` Means are provided whereby'theseside by reasonof the bracket arms 33 they are held against movement in the directionof their' length. The'two bars 3 which are lplaced at opposite sides ofthe tent, formV side bars of a cot, as they have .a canvasl securedthereto. The notching downward ofthe ground sills -in lthe center toform the large depression or notchl 10, prevents the body of theoccupant of the tent from resting upon thesev sills. l

Y )The notchesjll in the sills Vareso placed withrelation to theposition and size of the `.post 2, that their outer edges coincide inposition with the inner edges ofv the. post 2, when the latter areraised. This is clearly 4shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Inconsequence thejbars` form supports to retain the post 2 in V.raised position, at leastso far as preventing `inward I novement.y Y The postsl arc connectedtogether to vprevent outermo'vement, both --byotherymembers ofthe framestructure and also by the canvas cover which is pron 1 v j vided.

. The-.type ofzjoint which isused; for con- ,n ecting,v the' varioussections of the tent frame, is illustrated in detail ind.41 ig. G.lSurrounding theend of `fone section Vof the i `post is a clip 5, whichhas'one sidenspaced .v away `fromthe face ofthe post a short dis-'.tance,` .as is AAshownat the point'V 50. This forms a socket `for thereception .of the tongue-.carried bythe end ofy the other framememberfwhich is to be joined at this point. 'The clip or band 51 whichis secured upon the "other frame member has a tongue 5 2l extending fromone edge lthereof and spaced away `from `a surface of the frame fmembera sufficient distance to permit the passage of the portion oftheclip 5 which forms the outeriwallof the socket'50v into this space. Thetongue 52 may, therefore,

.be placed in the socket 50 and the two parts will then beheld securelytogether andA accurately positioned.

,Lf-- v"llheeXact shapeof the tongue, together 2v with its locat'ion'andthe location of the acomplemenital socket50, will depend'upon.therelationship between. =the parts to beA connected., The manner ofconnecting the' longitudinal bars 6 andv8 which support the slopingyroof ofthe jtent, is also illustrated,

` in Figf: `Each ofthese bars, considered "uw-hichare lpivoted `togetheras shown at 60, v so that when disconnected from thej other -g-parts'-theygmay Vbe folded into compact@ .f shape. The clipqwhich is placed atthe g 'end of, these ysecizionsyis. vprovided with a l tonguea54 whichenters .thesocket 50formed G0 bya clip 5. Theclip 5 which is placed uponin its entirety, consists of :three -sections the upper endof thepostsection 21' at yeach 'ofthe` corners fof thetent,.is providedwithtwcsocketfmembers at oppositesides,'one V designedV toreceive'? thetongue l 52 carried by the inclined? fbrace memberg', f kand the .otherto receive the tongue 54 carried byv the outer .endof one ,of the barsAt "the upper'endof the inclined brace member'?, which occupies therelative position of a rafter in aY house, fthe tongueV '52 is bentbackward at an acute angle,rwh 1le the"correspondingtongue 52 Vat thelower end of this bar, is bent in an obtuse angle. Y

The principle of constructionris, however, the same in each case.

,Asi the inclined` bar l7 i 75 l.would ber longer v thanthe horizontalbars which extend across the frame, it has .been lmadein two sectionswhichV arefpivoted together Iasiat 70. In

is collapsed vThewend sections 8 are each `{provided with ato'ngue,suchzas the tonguev .54 shown inFig.- v6, which enters. the socket 50carried; by the upper postfsectijon 2l.

The central portion ofthesebars is addi-V ftionally supportediby a bracebari 81- which f has its lowerendsecured to the'post 2l-by meansof aclip,'as 83, and atongue carried by the bar 8l, after the mannershown'in Fig. 6.[At its upper end this brace. bar is pivoted at 82 toIone of the bars 8,

The above type of structure is4 one which"V may be quickly and readilyput up ortaken down, and when taken down andV discon-V- nected maybefolded intocompact shape. It thusmakes a bundle which may beconveniently transported,as for Ainstance by ,parties who are travelingin automobiles, fand may be .qulckly raised ywhenever desired. Theprovision of anjelevated/web,

as 3ft,`1whichfmay be 'used Tas a-Icot tosleep g upon, avoids the dangerand disz'igreeable effects of sleeping upon the ground. It alsofurnishes a morecomfortable .surfaceupon which'to sleep. d V- v Thecover for thisyframe structure is composed of canvas and is stretchedtogetherso` as to fit closely tothe back and endl sides and .to theslopingA roofportion.y The end-sides 1 are provided with` extensions 9()whichare of such-faj'width and length asftobecapable of closing at leasthalf of the f-ront side .of

the tentl when .folded Tagainst the lsame.l Preferably theyY are madesuifi'cientlylong` Tas Ito havena reasonable amount ofyoverlapwhen-.ther two'Y are lfolded together. vThey j. will also? '.befprovidedalongl their' upper edgesy withgmeans for securingV themgto ,they

tent4 frame, as for instance, eyelets orclasp .buttons located as Vat.-9l ,In addition to this I1 also provide an extension 92 fromfthe; 130

inclined roof portion ofthe tent of fsuch izo ,a wiauitha a Wiu aia` Weudown against j the face of the tent.

The width of this member isone which will bring it down to of` the tent.

j 2-21 .and

approximately, if not entirely, to theV ground. This extension 92 may besupportedV so as to form a roof section 1n front fronted porch is formedin front of thefsloping section. When both vthe flaps 90y andA 92:

are closed down, the tent becomes very tight and it would be `difficultfor the wind to enter; To further secure-the tightness in the closure ofthe tent, andlalso to prevent the entrance of insects, I may providenarrow flaps, as 93, secured to the backside 94, and capable of beinglaid on top ofthe fabric which forms the cot surface.

It is believed that the manner of `handlingr the parts inerectingandalso in collapsing will be evident uponV inspection.V When collapsedVthe length of the bundle required is..v

the length of the individual. sections as of any large size, and if madeof a light and strong wood will Weigh 'but little.

consequence it is possible to carry in an auf tomobile one or moreof'thesetents andto.

. thus furnishV comfortable sleeping kapartn ments Vhat I claim as myinvention is:v l. A tent frame comprising ground'sills, posts pivotedat'the Vends of said sills to swing down along opposite sides of thesills,

and longitudinal bars having interlocking engagement with Athe sillsVjust lWit-hin the posts and serving as a side support for saidlongitudinal bars.

.2. A tent frame comprisingground sills,

posts pivoted to the lends of saidfsillsat g longitudinaljside barscomposed of sections ofra length to reach from one ground sill,

opposite sides and'adapted to swingdown alongside said sills, the endsof the sills being transversely notched jon their upper edge just withinthe raised position ofthe bars adapted to -fit into said ment with theirinner edges, and a fabric securedl to and drawn v.taut between said sidebars. j

3..A tent frame comprising `'ground sills,

posts pivoted to the ends ofvsaid sills -at posts pivoted to 1. Thesemembers need not bev for all the occupants. ofthe Vehicle. j

l' posts j members.

day of f FREDERICK SCHILLING, Sn, l

opposite sides andladaptedtosw1ng-d0wn alongside 'said sills, the endsof the sills being transversely notched on their upper edge just withinthe raised position of the posts, side bars adapted tofit into saidnotches and to support the posts by engage-- ment with their inneredges, a fabric secured to and drawn taut between said side bars, and abrackets secured to the side barsl and extending downl along the sidesofthe sills, and acting to prevent rocking of said sills.

j 4. A tent vframe comprising ground sills, the ends-of said sills atoppositesides and adapted to v,swing down alongside saidv sills, theends 'of the sills Vbeing transversely notched` on theirnpper n edgejust Within theraised position of the posts, side barscomposed ofsections of a'4 length to extend between adjacent sills,

.hinges connecting ysaid sections, said side` fitting Within the notchesin the upper bars vedges of the sills, means carried .byv the side -barsto position the joints between sections over cross sills, and a fabricsecuredto said side bars. H

5. A collapsible tent ground sills,. sills and side Vframe comprisingbars having interlocking engagement with the ground sillsand posts.

to vhold them'raised. j

`6. collapsible tent ground sills, posts pivoted` to said sills to postspivoted to the ground frame comprisingY 'fold alongside thereof, barsextending acrossv and engagingsaid sills and one side of the barsprovided, with complemental pinandsocket engaging when, raised,sectional folding roof togetherv Withithe posts, Y

' 7 A collapsible tent frame comprising y `ground sillscut down in theircentrall portion andhav-ing transverse notchesv in their upper edges'just inward from their ends 'faces lof the ground sills to prevent theirrocking over.`

Signed at April, 1919 Seattle, Washington, this 18th

